


Failure to communicate

by Flexor



Series: The life and loves of Yang Xiao Long [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Breaking heads, Breakup, F/M, Heartbreak, Sad, broken things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 17:04:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5299310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flexor/pseuds/Flexor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not being together-together does not mean being apart-apart, if you know what I mean. Second part of what I'm suddenly going to call the trilogy of the love-life of Yang Xiao Long.</p><p>Rated mature for language, Miss Xiao Long. Language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Failure to communicate

" _YANG_!"

Yang looked round, to see a small girl hurtling toward her, hammer raised, murder in her eyes. What the... She didn't have long to contemplate, because the hammer hit her in the midsection with more force than Nora Valkyrie should be able to summon, and Yang went flying. Her reflexes kicked in and she landed on her hands and feet. Nora came at her, screaming.

"You... you... _dog_!"

" _Nora!_ "

Nora swung her hammer again, but this time Yang was ready and blocked the stroke, feeling the force charge up her reserves. What had gotten into Nora? She was usually a sweet kid, a bit on the simple side, and not at all murderous. Now, her eyes were filled with pure hatred and Yang seemed to be the target. Yang sprang forward and managed to grab Nora's hammer.

"Nora! What the hell is _this_ all about?!"

Nora jerked her hammer out of Yang's hands, turned round on the spot and hit Yang in the shoulder, slamming her into the opposite wall of the gymnasium.

"You know damn well what this is all about! It's about _Ren_!"

"Ren?" Yang crouched down, fists out, watching Nora just in case she was about to attack again. "What about Ren?"

"You've..." Nora bared her teeth. "You've had _sex_ with Ren!" she screamed. "You took him to some fleabag motel by the power station, and you had _sex_ with him! Don't try to deny it!"

Yang carefully moved out of the way with Nora watching her every move. "Why the hell would I want to deny that? Yes I did! Loved every minute! So did he! What's it to you?"

"Raaaah!" said Nora, and charged, streaks of lightning crossing her body. Yang crossed her arms and blocked. Nora's blow was so hard that she flew right through the door and out into the courtyard. She landed hard on her back, the wind knocked right out of her. With a quick few breaths, she leapt to her feet and screamed at Nora.

"Can you stop hitting me for a second and _talk_?"

"The time for talking is over! It's hammer time!" Nora charged again, hammer whistling through the air. "You're gonna be sorry you were ever born!"

Yang leapt to one side, and put the fountain between her and Nora.

"Get over here so I can _splat_ you!"

"Sod that," Yang muttered.

She feinted to one side. Nora sprinted round the fountain swinging her hammer in a great arc. Yang flipped out of the way. The hammer hit the ground with the force of a bomb, and made the whole area shake. Right. Enough was enough. Yang shook out her Ember Celica bracers and burnt through her stored energy to charge Nora. Two fists hit the smaller girl in the stomach, and she flew up, landing in the fountain with a mighty splash. Her electrical energy shorted out and the water boiled around her. Yang leapt on top of her and pushed her under. Nora struggled wildly for a few seconds, and then her arms and legs dropped. Yang pulled her up, coughing and spluttering. Yang glared at her, bared her teeth and pushed her under again. Nora faintly scrabbled at Yang's arms until she pulled her up again, gasping for breath.

" _Now_ can I get a word in edgewise?"

"You... you..."

" _DO_ _YOU_ _WANT_ _TO_ _GO_ _UNDER_ _AGAIN?!_ "

"No... no!"

"Right then. Why are you so pissed off that I had a little fun with Ren?"

"He's..." Nora sobbed. "How _could_ you?"

"Why not? He's not your boyfriend, is he? We are not 'together together', were your words. _Right?_ "

Nora closed her eyes. It was hard to see whether her cheeks were wet with fountain water, or with tears. Her voice was suddenly small and choked.

"But that doesn't mean... I don't _want_ to be."

Yang looked into Nora's eyes. Nora's shoulders shook. Yang still wasn't going to let go of her.

"I..." Nora took a breath. "I love him. I love him so much. And then... you... and him."

Yang sighed and let go of Nora's shoulders. Nora sagged, crying quietly.

"Nora..."

Nora sniffed.

"We were talking about you, on that trip."

Nora's eyes grew large. "While you were... were _doing_ it?!"

Yang sneered and splashed a big armful of water over Nora.

" _Nobody_ yells anyone else's name while _I'm_ fucking them!"

That was not strictly true. On one occasion, her lover had called her 'Videl' while she called the boy 'Gohan', but that didn't count. Legit roleplaying. And not a big success anyway.

"You know what he told me?"

Nora said nothing, looked at Yang with watery eyes.

"He told me he loves you. More than anyone in the world."

"And then you--"

"Shut up and _listen_. What he told me is that he loves you like he'd love a little sister. And I believe him. He went all the way to Dinorwig to get batteries for you because you're so damn particular about where the electrons come from. He said you were the only one to make him happy, no matter how deep the shadows are. He said he'd die for you. Do you understand how lucky you are, you little..."

"Then why did he... with you?"

"Because I'm the hottest chick at Beacon and he doesn't think I am his little sister. And trust me, his little sister is the last thing I'd want to be."

"He loves me? Really, you're not just saying that?"

"Honest to goodness. So if you want to do the dirty with him, and I don't blame you because he's _awesome_ in bed, then _stop_ being his little sister, and start acting like a girlfriend. And don't blame _me_ for doing what _you_ wouldn't do."

Nora stared at Yang, water dripping from her hair, lips trembling. She took a sudden short breath.

"Oh no."

" _What_?"

"Oh _no_!"

A dark suspicion came over Yang.

"Did he... tell you what we did?"

Nora nodded, quickly. Yang's eyes narrowed at Nora.

"Did you... _do_ something?"

Nora nodded again.

"How _hard_ did you do the thing?"

"Um... window. _Open_ window."

Nora jumped up, turned round and ran in the direction of the dorm, leaving a wet trail of dripping water, and left Yang sitting, fully clothed, in the fountain, with lots of people looking at her.

"Show's over people." 

 

Yang, wearing a dry set of clothes, was sitting in the library, reading something about the breeding habits of Nevermore birds. She wasn't remembering anything, but it gave her something to do. There was a little cough next to her.

"Get lost."

"Yang. I need to talk to you."

"Get lost Ren," said Yang.

"Please. Can I sit down?"

"Depends. Is Nora going to smash my head in again?"

"I told her I was going to talk to you."

Ren sat down in the chair next to Yang. Yang looked round to him.

"You're an idiot."

Ren breathed in, sighed. "Yeah. Won't argue."

Yang looked back at her book, without seeing it.

"I'm sorry," said Ren. "I had no idea."

"Yes. That's because you're an idiot."

Ren stared ahead of him. "I love her, Yang. I told you that, and it's true."

"And I believe you." Yang glanced at Ren. "You just didn't realise that she loved you too, and _not_ as a big brother, because..."

"I'm an idiot. I know." Ren looked into Yang's eyes. "I just want you to know. I loved every moment with you. On the bike, at the motel. Everything."

"But," said Yang.

"But," agreed Ren.

"I won't lie, Ren," said Yang, and smiled wryly at the unintentional pun completely spoiled by the circumstances. "I was hoping for a couple of repeats. You're pretty damn good, and so am I. Would've been great."

"Yeah." Ren reached out for Yang's shoulder. "It would have."

Yang raised her hand, pushing his hand away. She turned in her chair and looked at him with a sad earnest expression in her eyes.

"I'm going to do something I've never done before. Not for _anyone_." She moved a few inches closer. "I'm going to give you up. Nora can have you, and you can have her. No hard feelings. I wish you the best, and I mean it."

Ren looked at Yang for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Thank you. I wish there was something I could do."

"What you can do," said Yang, with a sneer, "is to find Nora, and fuck out what little brain she has." Yang allowed herself this little bit of bitchiness. She'd earned the right. "If I don't see her walking round the academy with her head in a pink cloud very soon, I will _not_ be pleased."

Ren said nothing, just looked at her. Yang sat up.

"Don't you have a girlfriend to fuck?"

Ren thought of saying something, then decided not to. He got up and quietly walked out of the library. Yang turned round, looking at her book that she was no more likely to read now than ten minutes ago. She closed it with a snap.

"Well, _shit_ ," she said. 


End file.
